Re: Mother’s Day (Inside story, Weekly, July 16):
Thank you to journalist Ben Cameron for his support and article on the family drug support group. Ben has been a supporter of this group for some time and I appreciate his involvement.
Since the article appeared, I have had a number of calls and I wish to advise your readers of two important points.
The first is that the group is not only for families affected by a loved one’s use of ‘ice’ (crystal methamphetamine). The group is for people affected by a loved one’s use of alcohol and/or other drugs. Secondly, it is not a group just for women; men are also encouraged to attend.
Leading Senior Constable Jim Ross, Bacchus Marsh police youth resource officer
Re: Regional Rail Link: 6.30 ‘alarm’ riles Albion neighbours (Weekly, July 23):
As the RRL project is a designated major project, anyone living in the construction zone has no rights. Council has no control over what goes on either. It’s a disgrace. The RRL Authority doesn’t care about the people impacted because it knows it has the power to walk over people. And as for relocation, you try living in a motel with two kids and no money provided for the extra costs of having to eat out for weeks on end.
Tanya (via web)
Re: Sunshine taxi mum blasts state’s lawmakers (Weekly, July 23):
It’s funny how the taxi industry is treated with respect everywhere in Australia and around the world. We were voted, in a hotel survey, as being one of the best taxi industries, yet we are treated by our government like criminals. Guess what? Once I treated the Liberals with respect and voted for them. No more.
Billy Hachem (via web)
Re: New doubts on Sunvale school-to-park plan (Weekly, June 25):
The Liberals made a promise that this site would be used in its entirety for a community park, and they were elected. If you vote for the local Liberal based on a promise, and then they break it, what does that say about where you put your vote next time?
Michael Evans (via web)
Re: No more: dust drives Brooklyn residents out (Weekly, July 10)
Current dust levels in Brooklyn are at the same level as 2009 (the worst recorded) and odours are still spewing out into the atmosphere. Pollution appears to be recurring and ever-present.
This article quotes Environment Minister Ryan Smith’s spokesman, claiming “excellent progress has been made in relation to odours and there is now a concerted focus on dealing with dust issues”.
The Environment Protection Authority is giving a false impression when it makes the statement that odour control is on track due to a reduced number of complaints. This is simply not true. Residents are getting fed up reporting to the EPA.
I believe this entire pollution matter has become unmanageable. Corrective actions can’t come soon enough.
The current Environment Protection Act and enforcement of licence/permit conditions are not cutting it as far as I’m concerned.
Offending companies are getting off lightly, with authorities providing way too much latitude while businesses continue to impose harm on our health, wellbeing and amenity. There has to be a better way forward.
Carmen Largaiolli, Brooklyn Residents Action Group
